Synonym: Lepraria xanthina.
Common name: gold dust lichen.
Chrysothrix xanthina is a yellow to golden crustose lichen that grows on trees, rocks, and soil. In East and Central Texas, it is commonly found on the trunks and branches of deciduous and evergreen trees, particularly oak, elm, and cedar, as well as on calcareous rocks and outcrops. The thallus is thin and patchy, with a powdery to granular texture, and produces yellow soredia. It thrives in shaded to partially shaded areas with high humidity, and is often associated with other lichens and mosses.
Gold dust lichen Chrysothrix xanthina and some green lichen on tree bark on Racoon Run Trail in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, July 17, 2013
Gold dust lichen Chrysothrix xanthina on tree bark on Turkey Creek Trail. Bryan, Texas, January 29, 2019
Golden dust lichen Chrysothrix xanthina with a folious lichen on a tree in Big Creek Scenic Area of Sam Houston National Forest. Shepherd, Texas, February 1, 2019
Golden dust lichen Chrysothrix xanthina on tree bark in Big Creek Scenic Area of Sam Houston National Forest. Shepherd, Texas, February 1, 2019
Gold dust lichen (Chrysothrix xanthina) in McKinney Roughs Nature Park near Austin. Texas, March 17, 2021
Gold dust lichen (Chrysothrix xanthina) on a river birch on Campbell Trail in Fort Boggy State Park. Leon County, Texas, February 1, 2025
Bark of river birch with gold dust lichen (Chrysothrix xanthina) on Campbell Trail in Fort Boggy State Park. Leon County, Texas, February 1, 2025
Vibrant, neon-yellow to chartreuse color and the powdery, granular texture (described as "leprose," meaning it lacks a smooth outer "skin" or cortex) of gold dust lichen (Chrysothrix xanthina) on bark of a tree on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, January 6, 2026
Gold dust lichen (Chrysothrix xanthina) on bark of a tree (The hole in the bark was most likely made by a woodpecker searching for food, or possibly a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.) on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, January 6, 2026Observations of Chrysothrix xanthina in East and Central Texas reveal its presence on tree bark in various locations. In College Station, it was found on Racoon Run Trail in Lick Creek Park, growing alongside green lichen, on July 17, 2013. The species was also spotted on Turkey Creek Trail in Bryan on January 29, 2019. In the Big Creek Scenic Area of Sam Houston National Forest, near Shepherd, Texas, it was observed on February 1, 2019, both alone and with a folious lichen on trees. Additionally, Chrysothrix xanthina was found in McKinney Roughs Nature Park near Austin on March 17, 2021. These sightings indicate that the species is widespread in East and Central Texas, thriving on tree bark in different environments and locations. The observations span several years, suggesting a stable presence of the species in the region.
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